John Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley - A host of stars including previous cast members were snapped as they arrived to the Rockerfeller Plaza for Saturday Night Live as it celebrated it's 40th anniversary with a star studded gala in New York, United States - Sunday 15th February 2015

Billboard has just posted its annual list of music’s biggest moneymakers and well, there’s a new queen in town, Taylor Swift. After a lucrative 2013 the country superstar has topped the list, earning nearly $40 million dollars, but who else has been raking in the cash in the past 12 months?

Taylor Swift perfoming on her money making 'Red' tour

Last year Madonna topped the list taking in over $34 million dollars, this year without her hugely successful MDNA tour the Queen of Pop has slipped out of the top 40 entirely. Taking her place at the top is last year's no. 15, Taylor Swift. It’s not surprising, 2013 was a very good year for the singer. Not only did Taylor embark on her mammoth ‘Red’ tour, where she’s said to have made over $30 million, she also earned big bucks from record sales both physically and digitally. She’s also a very savvy business woman having taken lucrative sponsorship deals from Keds, Elizabeth Arden and Diet Coke on her tour.

The latest rich list was compiled from sources including Pollstar, the RIAA, Nielsen SoundScan, artists' managers, lawyers and many of the artists themselves. The figures are comprises of concert ticket sales, royalties, publishing, merchandise sales, endorsement deals and other such business ventures.

Madonna has emerged as the top earning musician of the year after she raked in £77m in ticket and merchandise sales, beating the likes of Lady GaGa and Bon Jovi who fell in at second with £49.6 m and third with £49m respectively.

The List Shows That Madonna Is Completely Loaded.

The veteran popstar, who is clearly still very much on her game, made this year's mega millions between June 2012 and June 2013, mainly thanks to her MDNA world tour, 'Material Girl' clothing line, perfume brand and merchandise sales, according to Forbes Magazine.

The rockers have decided that everyone, regardless of financial situation, should be afforded the simple pleasures in life - such as seeing Bon Jovi in concert.

Bon Jovi are nothing, if not charitable, and the band have filled their Random Act of Kindness quota apparently, by scheduling a “free” gig in Madrid this summer, in light of the crippling economic crisis that Spain is currently going through. The quotation marks were necessary there, because the show, despite the slashed ticket prices, is decidedly not free – with tickets costing between $23 and $50 a piece. Still, that’s far less than any other show on Bon Jovi’s tour schedule. The band’s Spanish fans are clearly appreciative as well, with the AP reporting that the tickets are already sold out. So it probably wasn’t just a good deed – the halved prices turned out to be a savvy business decision as well.

The "Livin' on a Prayer" rockers told Spain's El Mundo newspaper that they hadn’t originally planned to play in Madrid, as they were worried that fans would be unable to afford tickets in light of Spain's economic crisis. But if you announce it, they will come apparently. Fans even took to Twitter to praise the band for their generosity. “Good Guy Bon Jovi, holding a free concert at Madrid due to bad economy,” said one Twitter user. Perhaps there was some confusion about the extent of the band’s generosity, but still. Nicely done. We agree - nobody should have to suffer a Bon Jovi-less existence because of their financial situation.

No Richie Sambora on Bon Jovi's world tour - and money isn't the real problem.

By now it’s common knowledge that Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora will not be joining the band on their world tour.

But the reason might not be financial issues, as previously reported. Instead, a report by The New Your Post points to the possibility that Jon Bon Jovi refused to have Sambora on the tour, in an effort to keep it clean and drug-free. Last year, Bon Jovi’s daughter was rushed to hospital after a suspected heroin overdose and the singer has supposedly promised his wife that there would be no substance abuse on this tour. Apparently that means Sambora is off the list. A source told the Post “Jon has been trying to get rid of him. He drinks constantly and has a stream of Hollywood bimbos around all the time. At the urging of his wife, Dorothea, Bon Jovi wants to keep the tour free of booze and drugs”.

Sambora has taken a trip to rehab twice before, but it doesn’t seem to have stuck. The source added “he told me that he didn’t believe in rehab. He really is a hard partier, and so are the women he hangs out with”. And while that may be typical rockstar behavior (or so we’re told by every biopic ever), it’s not going to cut it for this tour. Instead, Richie will be replaced in the tour lineup by guitarist Theofilos Xenidis – at least until April 25th. No plans have been announced after that date.

Bon Jovi will play London's Hyde Park on 5 July as part of Barclaycard British Summer Time, a 10-day event featuring six concerts across two weekends, from 28 June to 7 July.

Good news for fans of the legendary rocker, no doubt, but, following complaints last year about noise restrictions and curfew times, concerns that the gig won't be loud enough have surfaced. "With the new plans we've put in, we think it's going to be louder while still respecting what's going on in the community," AEG Live and Event director Jim King said, during a press conference in London. "I've absolutely no doubt that Bon Jovi will be exactly the same if not louder than last time they played. We've had independent reports on this, and the new orientation of the stage gives us at least 3dB onsite increase. For those who know about sound that's a significant increase."

Bon Jovi have added the Isle of Wight Festival to next year’s string of tour dates. the New Jersey band have been booked to close out the festival on the Sunday night, on the main stage. Now, if you don’t know much about music festivals, this is probably a good time to point out that the last night of the festival is the one that everyone remembers. Partly because they’ve run out of money, alcohol and drugs, of course, but also, partly because promoters will quite often choose the most exciting bad they can possibly afford, to close out the final night.

The promoter of the Isle of Wight Festival, John Giddings, reportedly said: "I can't imagine a better rock band with more hits to close our Sunday night." Sorry… but we’ve been having a little chat here at Contact and we can think of MANY better rock bands to headline the Isle of Wight Festival. And we were only really thinking about it for a few minutes. They might not have ‘more’ hits but they’ll almost definitely have ‘more listenable ones.’ It’ll be interesting to see how the promoters build Sunday’s bill around Bon Jovi’s headline slot. Perhaps they’ll get Def Leppard up there, too, or Europe, perhaps? Europe could play ‘the Final Countdown,’ as the countdown to Bon Jovi’s headline slot, perhaps?

The Stone Roses were recently confirmed as the Friday night headliners for the festival; it will be interesting to see how quickly tickets start to fly for this one. It’s going to be Bon Jovi’s only UK festival date of 2013, on June 16 and tickets will go one sale at 9am tomorrow (November 28, 2012).

Jon Bon Jovi broke his silence on his daughter Stephanie's drug overdose and subsequent arrest this week, saying his family are "doing well" after the tragedy. As you'll know by now, the 19-year-old was unresponsive when paramedics arrived at her Hamilton College dorm room last week, though she luckily recovered in hospital.

Stephanie was arrested after a small amount of heroin and marijuana was found in her room, though the charges were dropped thanks to a governmental scheme encouraging people to call for help if they suspect someone is overdosing. Of the scary incident, Bon Jovi told Fox, "What I do for a living seems glitzy and glamorous but if you don't take it too seriously it's a great way to make a living. And then life goes on. Things happen." Anyway, Stephanie seems to have made a full recovery, allowing Bon Jovi to concentrate on his day job. The band will be heading out on another of its globe-spanning arena tours, announcing the first dates this week. The Because We Can tour will kick off in Uncasville, Connecticut on February 9, 2012, and run through till late July with stops at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and the Staples Center on April 19, 2012. Randy Phillips, President and CEO of AEG Live said, "As AEG Live embarks on its fourth collaboration with one of today's greatest original rock bands, it is no surprise that they are going to sell out stadiums and arenas around the globe, since Bon Jovi has consistently delivered the goods to their hardcore and new fans alike."

As if to stick two massive fingers up at the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi make it clear on their website that a "wide range of ticket options" will be available, starting at a mere $19.50.

Jon Bon Jovi’s world almost came crashing down on him last week after his daughter Stephanie Bongiovi was hospitalized following a heroin overdose; one of the biggest rockers in the world, the incident has nevertheless stopped the Bon Jovi in his tracks, and he opened up to Fox about the ordeal. (Stephanie was hospitalized on November 14).

"It's human," Bon Jovi, 50, said stoically. "What I do for a living seems glitzy and glamorous but if you don't take it too seriously it's a great way to make a living. And then life goes on. Things happen. This tragedy was something that I had to face too. So we'll get through it." There have been an abundance of well-wishers in the wake of the incident, and he was quick to thank them too, saying "People's warm wishes for my family and I have been really reassuring," he said. "So, we're good."

The incident itself saw the 19 year-old Bongiovi collapse in her dorm room in Hamilton College, New York. She was rushed to hospital and treated and luckily survived. However, that led to a search of her room which found a small amount of heroin as well as marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. Initially arrested alongside her friend Ian S. Grant on drug possession charges, she was freed after a court exempted the charges on account that Grant sought help for Bongiovi to help her survive the overdose.

Bon Jovi has opened up about the drug overdose suffered by his daughter, Stephanie Bongiovi, and her subsequent arrest following the episode.

"It's human. This tragedy was something that I had to face, too, so we'll get through it," Bon Jovi told Fox television's Los Angeles affiliate on Tuesday. "People's incredible warm wishes for my family and I have been really reassuring. So, we're good," the singer added. Bongiovi, 19, was found unresponsive in a dorm room at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, last week due to a suspected heroin overdose. She and a friend were arrested on suspicion of possession, but the pair were soon free to go, as a law passed recently in the area granted immunity to those involved when official help is sought during a life-threatening overdose. Bon Jovi was giving his much anticipated view on the events while promoting upcoming December film "Stand Up Guys," starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin, for which he provided original songs."What I do for a living seems glitzy and glamorous, but if you don't take it too seriously, it's a great way to make a living," he said, "And then life goes on. Things happen."

Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are scheduled to perform at the 12-12-12 concert at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 12 to benefit Sandy relief.

Jon Bon Jovi has broken his silence on his daughter Stephanie's recent heroin overdose and subsequent arrest. The 19-year-old was rushed to hospital in New York last week, with police finding a small amount of heroin and marijuana in her dorm room.

In a new interview with Fox 11's Courtney Friel, Bon Jovi talked for the first time about the incident, saying, "What I do for a living seems glitzy and glamorous but if you don't take it too seriously it's a great way to make a living.And then life goes on. Things happen." He added, "This tragedy was something that I had to face too so we'll get through it. And people's warm wishes for my family and I have been really reassuring. So, we're good."

Stephanie is the eldest of four children the singer has with wife Dorothea Hurley. She was initially ordered to appear in court for the drug possession, though police took a liberal stance on the matter and opted to drop the charges, citing a new governmental scheme that encourages people to call for help immediately in the result of a drug overdose.

Jon Bon Jovi has spoken candidly about his teenage daughter’s recent heroin overdose, saying that he is grateful for he support that has been offered to his family and assured everyone that they’ll “get through it.” 19 year-old Stephanie Bongiovi is reported to have overdosed on heroin last week in her college dorm room at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York. She was subsequently arrested but was released without charge, thanks to a New York law that prevents someone from being prosecuted for possession of drugs, if they have overdosed.

In an interview with Fox 11’s Courtney Friel, Bon Jovi spoke of the experience and said “This tragedy was something that I had to face too so we'll get through it. And people's warm wishes for my family and I have been really reassuring. So, we're good.” He also explained “It’s human. What I do for a living seems glitzy and glamorous but if you don't take it too seriously it's a great way to make a living. And then life goes on. Things happen.” Courtney then commented “it’s nice to see that celebrities are just real people with real problems.

Jon Bon Jovi recently announced that his band, Bon Jovi, would tour in 2013. They’ll be selling tickets at “recession-friendly” prices, a stark contrast to the Rolling Stones, whose 50th anniversary concert tickets were going for up to £400 in the original sale.

Bon Jovi's nice ticket prices are a breath of fresh air for the fiscally challenged. The legendary rocker has offered fans of his the chance to see him at knock down prices, unlike some other returning rockers whom shall remain nameless.

"Jon is very savvy," says Randy Phillips, president/CEO of AEG Live, promoter of the tour, according to USA Today. "He's using the highest 10% of the house to finance the rest of the house. It's almost similar to President Obama wanting to raise the upper tax rate. He's an artist who's fully in control of his own business and who understands the business. He told me he wanted to make sure there was something for everyone." Seemingly moved by the plight of Hurricane Sandy victims in his home state, Bon Jovi left his promotional tour in Europe and flew home to work in a soup kitchen, Phillips says. "He's been a huge lobbyist for New Jersey," Phillips says. "Because he's so socially active, he never lost touch with what his fans feel and are going through. He does not want to play in an arena full of rich people. Doing things like this is why this band still matters."

Bon Jovi's daughter, Stephanie Bongiovi was arrested after an alleged heroin overdose in the early hours of Wednesday morning (Nov, 14th). But, due to new good Samaritan drug law passed last year, she won't face charges, prosecutors said Thursday.

"People will say she got away with murder because of who she is, but this law was passed so people don't watch somebody die because they're afraid of jail," Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara told the Daily News. "And you don't want the person overdosing to say, 'No, don't call,'" he added. Ian Grant, 21, the male friend who called 911, is also exempt under the same law. "It was an insignificant amount. Heroin does not weigh that much in the first place," he told The News." We're prohibited by law from prosecuting," McNamara said. "We had no other choice but to dismiss the case." If it hadn't been an insignificant amount, i.e., 8 ounces of over, they pair would have been in trouble, but alas, they weren't in possession of enough to warrant further action.

She was initially charged with misdemeanour possession of heroin, misdemeanour marijuana possession, and criminally using drug paraphernalia, police said. Grant was booked at the Kirkland police station on misdemeanour drug possession and released back to Hamilton.

Jon Bon Jovi's daughter Stephanie Bongiovi was arrested at Hamilton College on Wednesday (November 14, 2012) after a suspected heroin overdose. Though details are sketchy, the New York Post report that an ambulance was dispatched to the dorm of Ms Bongiovi, 19, and that cops recovered small amounts of heroin and marijuana.

The rocker's daughter was initially unresponsive when paramedics arrived, though she was rushed to a local hospital and is expected to be released after making a full recovery. Nasty business indeed, though it got worse for the family after Stephanie was booked for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth degree criminal possession of marijuana, criminally using drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of marijuana. A man found in her room, Ian Grant, was also charged with possession. Hamilton College say they're helping a police investigation and hinted that both students will face disciplinary action. "In addition to violating state law, the actions alleged to have been committed by the students violate Hamilton College policy.The college is cooperating with the police investigation. Our first concern is always for the safety of our students.Out of respect for the privacy of our students and in accordance with federal regulations, we do not discuss individual health or disciplinary matters." Stephanie and father Jon are understood to enjoy a close relationship, with the veteran rocker once telling Redbook magazine, "My daughter was instant-messaging one of her friends, and man, it looked like it was in code! So I ask her, 'What does that mean?' She said, 'Do you really want to know? It means: Dad looking over shoulder. Gotta go,"

Though both Stephanie and friend Ian are due to appear in front of a judge in the near future, the latter was praised by the New York State Director of Drug and Policy Alliance Gabriel Sayegh, who wrote on The Huffington Post, "unlike Ian Grant, most people don't call for help when witnessing an overdose. Why? Studies show that fear of arrest and stigma of drug use keeps people from calling 911. In short, most people don't call 911 because they're afraid of getting a ride in the back of a cop car instead of an ambulance."

Bon Jovi's Daughter has been arrested on drug possession charges after a possible heroin overdose in her college dorm room in Upstate New York, People reports.

Police have said that Stephanie Rose Bongiovi, a student a Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., was unresponsive when they entered the scene. She was expected to be released from the hospital Wednesday. "In addition to violating state law, the actions alleged to have been committed by the students violate Hamilton College policy," the college says in a statement to WKTV. "The college is cooperating with the police investigation. Our first concern is always for the safety of our students. Out of respect for the privacy of our students and in accordance with federal regulations we do not discuss individual health or disciplinary matters." A dorm search by police turned up a small amount of heroin, which lead to the subsequent arrest of fellow student, Ian S. Grant, 21, who, like Bongiovi, is from Red Bank, N.J. A later search of the dorm also turned up additional heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, say police.

As of yet no further information has been offered to the health of the 19-year old, but if the reports are true, and she has indeed faced issues with abuse, we hope she gains a full and healthy recovery foremost.

Jon Bon Jovi’s daughter arrested after allegedly overdosing on heroin at an upstate New York college, The New York Daily news reports.

"She was unresponsive when we arrived," Investigator Peter Cania told the Daily News, after Town of Kirkland Police responded to a 911 call early Wednesday at a doom room at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., where Stephanie Rose Bongiovi attends school. Bongiovi - Bon Jovi's only daughter and the oldest of his four children - was rushed to the hospital. Thereafter, police found heroin and more evidence of drug use in the dorm after obtaining a search warrant. Kirkland Police said two students from the college were arrested; Ian S. Grant, 21, of Red Bank, New Jersey, was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was processed at the Kirkland Police Station and then released back to Hamilton College. He will appear in the Town of Kirkland Court at a later date. The Kirkland Police said they then contacted the Oneida County Drug Enforcement Task Force to continue the investigation.

Stephanie Rose Bongiovi is the 19-year-old daughter of rock icon Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorthea Hurley. The couple also share three sons, Jesse James Louis (born 19 February 1995), Jacob Hurley (born 7 May 2002) and Romeo Jon (29 March 2004).

The Dave Matthews Band have pledged to donate $1 million to help those affected by Superstorm Sandy. Fox News have reported that the band, originally from Charlottesville, Virginia made the announcement today (Wednesday November 14, 2012) on their website, revealing that the opening date of their winter tour will be a benefit show and all ticket and merchandise sales will go to the Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund, which was established at the Community Foundation of New York.

When the storm hit the East Coast of the USA just over two weeks, it caused devastation and widespread damage. There were power outages in New Jersey and New York and the clean-up operation continues to try to get communities back to their former state. The band’s show at the Izod Center in New Jersey on November 30, will benefit the Bama Works fund.

The Dave Matthews Band aren’t the only high profile artist to help with the relief effort following the storm. NBC hosted hosted a telethon concert, featuring some of the world’s best-love musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi and Sting. Christina Aguilera performed a moving rendition of her hit song ‘Beautiful,’ which became one of the highlights of the concert.

Christina Aguilera opened the highly publicised charity telethon, "Hurricane Sandy: Come Together", in aid of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. It was a fitting role for the singer and 'The Voice' coach, as she was born and raised on Staten Island, which is one of the areas most affected by the enormous storm.

"I was born in Staten Island" she began, addressing the crowd. "We are here for you. We will do whatever we can to help. We will not leave any one of you behind, because every single one of you matters." She then broke into a heart wrenching rendition of 'Beautiful'. Other acts that followed included Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Aerosmith. "Today" hody Matt Lauer said that it was easy to get everyone on board, mostly requiring "one phone call".

CBS news reports some very generous commercial donations already pledged, including $1m from the CBS themselves, $2m from Disney, and a further $1m from News Corp. Celebrities all over the US are tweeting support for the telethon, particularly the Jersey Shore stars who found their own fame in New Jersey. Before taking to the stage, Christina left a tweet, saying "Sending my love and support to everyone on the east coast who's been affected. Thinking of u all. XoXtina"

Bruce Springsteen has been confirmed as one of the major US acts to play a benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, which has blighted the East coast of the United States this week. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be joined by Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Sting and Bon Jovi for the televised special, which will air on Friday (November 2, 2012). It will be hosted by Matt Lauer (of the Today show) and the late night chat show host Jimmy Fallon will be making an appearance, as will NBC News’ Brian Williams.

The money collected from the event will be donated to the American Red Cross, who are organising relief efforts for those affected by the devastating storm, as well as other disasters. The Red Cross will provide food, shelter, emotional support and other services to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. After Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, a similar benefit concert raised around $50 million for the Red Cross.

The concert, named ‘Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together’ will air at 8pm EST on Friday, on ET on NBC, NBC.com, USA Network, SyFy, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, E!, Style Network, G4 and more.” However, a spokesperson for NBC Universal has told the New York Times that any channels not owned by NBC will not be able to air the concert.

All hail Jon Bon Jovi! The People’s Rocker has announced that his band Bon Jovi will play a string of UK tour dates in 2013 and prices will start from as little as £12.50. That’s right! £12.50 for a stadium show. Did you hear that, Mick Jagger? Twelve. Pounds. Fifty.

As music fans are still reeling from the prices that The Rolling Stones were charging £90 for the lowliest of tickets at their O2 Arena show next month, Bon Jovi’s news will come as a very pleasant – and affordable – surprise. Bon Jovi will be releasing a new album next year, entitled What About Now and according to a story from Manchester Evening News, the low ticket prices are a “thank you” to their fans. In times of economic struggle for so many, it’s a welcome gesture.

In their 30 year career, Bon Jovi have played a reported 2,700 concerts, in 50 different countries and have reached over 35 million fans in doing so. Next year, the band will play Manchester’s Etihad Stadium on June 8, followed by Villa Park, Birmingham on June 9, City Stadium in Cardiff on June 12, Stadium of Light in Sunderland on June 13 and Hampden Park in Glasgow on July 3. The ‘presale’ for tickets will start online at www.bonjovi.com at 6pm tonight (October 30, 2012). The presale is open to members of the fansite, who will be able to apply for Backstage tickets and VIP packages. Though presumably they’re going to cost a touch more than the base price of £12.50.

Bon JoviSunday 26th June 2011 A stage set being built on the 2nd day for the two upcoming Bon Jovi concerts at the RDS showgrounds this coming Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th in Dublin, Ireland. Dublin, Ireland

Bon Jovi need no introduction. After nearly 30 years in the industry, this New Jersey band have rocked into public consciousness with eleven studio albums and over 2600 concerts in around 50 countries around the world. Now in 2010, after 15 years since their last greatest hits, Bon Jovi are back to exemplify exactly why they are heralded as one of the greatest rock bands of our time.

When the CRUSH and ONE WILD NIGHT tours were complete, the members of BON JOVI had anticipated a brief vacation before work would begin on the band's 8th studio album. But on September 11th, the world changed. Within days of the terrorist attacks, JON and RICHIE had filmed Public Service Announcements for the Red Cross, recorded AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL for the NFL and performed as part of the historic A TRIBUTE TO HEROES live telethon. One month later, the band participated at two Monmouth County Alliance of Neighbors concerts in Red Bank, NJ to raise funds for the families close the band's hometowns, which were affected by the World Trade Center disaster. And on October 21st, BON JOVI performed at the monumental CONCERT FOR NEW YORK at Madison Square Garden, raising relief funds and honoring those who worked to save lives during the terror.

JON and RICHIE had already begun songwriting together in New Jersey when the terrorist attacks took place. Greatly moved by what they witnessed, they continued the writing process and emerged with a fresh new batch of songs inspired by the tragedy. Despite the horrific events that may have served as inspirations for aspects of the new songs, JON and RICHIE promise the songs themselves are optimistic and uplifting. The songs are not about the horror, but about the human condition and spirit in the wake of that day.

In March 2002, BON JOVI entered the recording studio to begin recording their 8th studio album, BOUNCE. The title is a subtle reference not only to New York City's and the United States' ability to bounce back from the World Trade Center attacks as a nation but, it also refers to BON JOVI and the band's ability to bounce back again and again, over the years. BON JOVI has proven they are a formidable force. Music trends come and go but good songs stand the test of time... and so do BON JOVI, who have more good songs they're looking forward to sharing with the world in the Fall of 2002. One can only imagine what the future will bring for BON JOVI and their fans... but one thing's for sure: BON JOVI keeps going

Bon Jovi have had a career spanning 3 decades and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Stopping off in the UK as part of their 'Have A Nice Day' tour, including playing to 65,000 people for two nights at Milton Keynes (having been pencilled in to open the new Wembley Stadium), we catch up with drummer Tico Torres for a brief chat.